Braiding-machine.



G. B. TRAXEL.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB23 1912 Patented Ami-=8, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. TRAXEL, OF ROME, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROME WIRE COMPANY, OF ROME, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BRAIDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. TRAXEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rome, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Braiding-Machines, of which the followin is a specification.

n the common form of braiding-machines for covering wire with silk, cotton and other threads, the threads are repeatedly drawn from supplies arranged on the supplyholders, and when it is attempted to drive the machines at a high speed the threads are withdrawn so quickly that they are frequently broken and the ain incident to running the machine at a high speed is more than offset by the loss due to breakage. Usually these machines are provided with automatic means to stop the machine in case a thread breaks, said means consisting of a weight adapted to 'be lifted by the thread when the latter is pulled taut, and arranged to act by gravity when the thread breaks, thereby to control the operation of a stopmotion or clutch for the machine. This form of automatic stoppin means is also objectionable when attempting to drive the machine at a'high speed.

This invention has for its object to provide each supply-holder with a tension-device in the form of a friction-brake, which engages the base of the supply-holder and exerts thereon a moderate ressure, whereby its rotary motion is resisted, but is not restrained or checked; and also to provide a take-up arm for the thread, movement of.

which is opposed by a spring said arm being arranged to be enga ed by the thread and to be operated by apu upon the thread, and said arm 0 crating when raised to a predetermined e evation tomove the friction brake, so as to relieve the tension on the sup ly-holder, thus admitting of sudden wit drawals of the thread from the supplyholder, which movements are yieldin'gly resisted, and as a result the thread will not be broken even though the machine is driven at a high speed.

The invention also has for its object to construct and arrange a controlling-member for the stop-motion or clutch of the machine, in the path of movement of said take-up arm, whereby in case a thread breaks and said take-up arm thereupon resumes its normal position, said controlling-member will be operated to control the stopping of the machine.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a traveling-carrier and supply-holder, of a-braidlug-machine embodying this invention. Fig. 2 1s a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the dotted line :4-4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a modification to be referred to.

10 represents the travelin -carrier; 12 a post thereon, and 13 a supp y-holder rotatably mounted on said 0st, said supplyholder having a circular ase 14. A collar 15 is rigidly secured to the post at or near the top of the supply-holder, which prevents axial movement of the supply-holder in an upward direction. As here shown, for the purpose of illustratin one embodiment of my invention, the friction-brake is arran ed beneath the circular base of the sup lyholder, and is constructed andarrange to exert a' moderate pressure thereon in an up ward direction, thereby to resist its rotary motion, but not to restrain or look" it. As represented in Figs. 1 to 4, said frictionbrake consists of a pair of bosses 20, 20, a frame 21 bearing said bosses which is ivotally supported on a short shaft or pin 22, arranged at right angles to the post 12, and passing through a hole in an extension 23 on said post. Said frame is movable on the shaft 22 to cause the bosses to engage and disenga e the under side of the circular base 14. Said frame 21 has a lug 25, which extends downward a short distance, adapting it to be engaged by means provided for moving the frame in a direction to cause the bosses to disengage the circular base. Said frame is acte upon 'by a spring 30, arranged on the extension 23 on the post, to move the frame in an upward direction to cause the bosses to continuously engage the form of friction-brake is simple and operates effectively, but my inventlon is not limited to the particular form hereshown, nor to a friction-brake arranged to exert its pressure in any particular direction- Also as here shown 40 represents a take-up arm for the thread 41, and has a hook 42 or other means at its extremity, for engagement with the thread, which thread-passes overhooks or other means arranged on an upright post 35 on the traveling-carrier. Said take-up arm is secured to a pivot'shaft 43, which extends through a hole in the extension 23 on the post, and which has arranged on it a spring 44, attached at one end to it and at the other end to said extension, said spring acting to move the take-up arm in a downward direction and thus to oppose the lifting movement of said arm, due .to a pull upon the thread. For the purpose of attaching one'end of the sprin to the shaft in an 1 adjustable manner, a isk 45' having notches in its periphery is secured to the shaft, and the end of the spring 44, is arranged in any of the notches in said disk, and may be removed from any" notch and placed in another easily and quickly. The take-up arm has a hub '50 embracing the pivot-shaft, which is formed with a shoulder 51, so arranged as to engage the lug 25 on the friction-brake when the arm is lifted to an extreme position as represented by dotted lines Fig. 1, and by thus engaging said lug to move thafriction-brake, so as to relieve partially or wholly the pressure on the circular base of the supply-holder. A sudden pull on the thread acts to lift the take-up arm into its extreme elevated position or 'thereabout, and to operate the friction-brake to'relieve the pressure on the supply-holder.

The take-up arm is moved downward by its controlling-spring and occupies a position with its extremlty' near the base of the traveling-carrier when there is n tension or ull upon the thread, and herein advantage is takenof this condition by utilizing the take-up arm to control a stop-motion or clutch for the machine. As shown, 60 represents a controlling-member for the stopmotion or clutch, which may be made as a lever, pivotally supported on the. travelingcarrier at a point intermediate its length, or

otherwiseand elsewhere supported, and one' end of said controlling-lever is arranged in the path of downward movement of the take-up arm, so as to be engaged by said arm for the purpose of movlng the lever. Said lever, however, will only be engaged and operated when the take-up arm occupies its lowermost position, so that when the thread breaks and said arm assumes this cam 71 is moved far enough to osition it will move the controllin -memer 60 to control the stopping of t e machine.

In Fig. 5 the take-up arm 70 is constructed to operate similarly to the take-up arm above described, but its hub 71 is made as a cam which is supported directly beneath the circular base of the supply-holder,.and engages said base in all positions of the takeup arm, except when said arm is lifted by a pull upon the thread into its most elevated position or thereabout, and at such time the artially or wholly disengage the circular Ease of the supply-holder and thereby relieve the tension thereon.

My invention herein described is to be especially contrasted with a device having means to lock the supply-holder, as I have found in practice that any means which positively locks the suppl -holder cannot be operated quickly enoug to prevent the thread from breaking when pulled suddenly or jerked by repeated withdrawals of the thread, while the machine is operating at a high speed.

I claim 1. In a braiding-machine, the combination of a rotatable supply-holder having a base,

a traveling-carrier therefor, means to hold said supply-holder against axial movement, a friction-brake-member arranged beneath the base of the supply-holder and pivotally supported on the carr er and arranged to engage the under side of the base of the supply-holder, a take-up arm adapted for engagement with the thread having means to operate the friction-brake to relieve the pressure on the supply-holder, and a spring to oppose movement of said take-up arm, substantially as described.

2. In a braiding-machine, the combination of a rotatable supply-holder having 'a base, means, to hold sald supply-holder against axial movement, a travelingcarrier, a friction-brake borne by the carrier which engages the under side of the base of saidsupply-holder and exerts a pressure thereon in the direction of the axis thereof, a take-up arm. adapted for engagement with the thread, arranged to actuate said'frict-ionbrake to relieve the pressure on the supplyholder, and a spring to oppose movement of said take-up arm, substantially as described.

3. In a braiding-machine, the combination of a rotatable supply-holder having a base, a traveling-carrier for said holder having means to prevent axial movement of said holder, a pivoted frame {arranged-beneath the base of the holder having portions to frictionally engage said base, a spring to hold said portions in engagement with the base, a lug on said frame, a take-up arm ranged for engagement with said lug to.

adapted for engagement with the thread, name to this specification, in the presence of said arm having a hub with a shoulder artwo subscribing witnesses. I move said frame and relieve the pressure of V CHARLES TRAXEL' 5 its engaging portions on the base, substan- Witnesses:

tially as described. LAURA T. GURLEY,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my- F. M. POTTER, Jr. 

